Who would have ever thought that heading into week four the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions would be undefeated?
This is why football is the greatest sport.
There are no guarantees. Ever.
My Predictions For Week Four
Bills (3-0) at Bengals (1-2) Beating the Patriots proved the Bills are for real. The offense has proven two weeks in a row the ability to come back from huge deficits. The Bills defense is making the right plays at the right times, giving their offense the opportunity to put points on the board. The Bengals defense will wear down, and be unable to stop Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. Winner - Bills
Titans (2-1) at Browns (2-1) Cleveland pulled it off with less than a minute to go last week, with an unhealthy Peyton Hillis. This week, they have their star RB back and are going to run, run, run. Don't count the Titan offense not to make-up for where their defense lacks. QB Matt Hasselbeck has been the most effective leader the Titans have had, well, ever. However, WR Kenny Britt is hurt and may be out for the season. The Browns secondary will own the Titans. Winner - Browns
Steelers (2-1) at Texans (2-1) The Steelers may have squeaked out a win Sunday night against a weak Colts team, but they shouldn’t be overjoyed. Their offensive line is going to be exploited this week as the Texans do more damage that the Colts did. Big Ben is going down. Houston’s offense is going to dominate this game on the ground and in the air. Winner - Texans
Lions (3-0) at Cowboys (2-1) Detroit is for real as they have battled it out, come from behind and are taking control. Their offense has found their star in relentless QB Matthew Stafford and their defense is being lead by Ndamukong Suh. Sweet combination for success. The Cowboys are struggling a bit, barely winning late in games. Dallas QB Tony Romo has really stepped up by playing with a broken rib, but the Lions are going to dominate this game. Winner - Lions
49ers (2-1) at Eagles (1-2) Philadelphia is in trouble as QB Michael Vick’s status to play, after suffering a contusion on his right hand last Sunday against the Giants, is unclear. Without him, well …we all saw what happened in Atlanta. On the contrary, the 49ers defense has been stopping the run, their offense has been creating key opportunities, and their special teams have made some huge plays. All this together means Philly is in trouble Sunday. Winner – 49ers
Panthers (1-2) at Bears (1-2) The Panthers are coming off a much needed win last week, but will not be so lucky this week. The Bears defense isn’t going to let them do much. Chicago’s offense, specifically QB Jay Cutler, has suffered the last two weeks, and this week will be somewhat of a break as Carolina’s defense isn’t awful, but they are young and struggling a bit. The Bears offense will put up more points as Cutler will utilize the run and pass effectively. Winner - Bears
Redskins (2-1) at Rams (0-3) Not sure what has happened to the Rams this year, but QB Sam Bradford is not playing up to his expectations at all. His receivers aren’t great, but that is no different than last year, so what gives? Nothing will give against the Redskin defense. They will stop the pass of the Rams offense and take control early. Winner - Redskins
Saints (2-1) at Jaguars (1-2) "Oh when the Saints, come marching in, Oh when the Saints come marching in …" New Orleans is going to show Jacksonville QB Blaine Gabbert what it’s like to play in the NFL. On offense, Drew Brees is going to have his way, with the run, and especially when he goes deep. Winner - Saints
Vikings (0-3) at Chiefs (0-3) Kansas City almost pulled off an upset last week in San Diego, and that was extremely unexpected, but QB Matt Cassel reminded everyone why they were 0-2. The Vikings have lost all three of their games after leading by double-digits at halftime. Safe play-calling in the second half will get you nowhere, but 0-3. Kansas City will have gained some confidence after keeping up with the Chargers last week and will prevail at home. Winner - Chiefs
Giants (2-1) at Cardinals (1-2) Even though the Cardinals are quite confusing this year, their core offense is promising. However, their offensive line is not, and this is going to hurt the core against the Giants defense. New York will own this game as their defense is going to enable the offense to put up points. Giants QB Eli Manning will have another excellent performance. Winner - Giants
Falcons (1-2) at Seahawks (1-2) Seattle plays really well at home and although the Falcons are going to be favored in this game, they aren’t that great on the road. Over all, the Falcons are a better team, but they need to protect their quarterback and they need to stop the run. Could this be a potential upset? Doubtful. The Falcons defense will be the key in this game, easily getting past the weak Seattle offensive line and putting pressure on QB Tavaris Jackson. Winner - Falcons
Broncos (1-2) at Packers (3-0) Denver needs to bench QB Kyle Orton, and give Brady Quinn a shot, or hush the fan base and put in Tim Tebow already. Orton is hurting that offense. Denver takes their QB issues to Green Bay this week and are going to be lucky to score a touchdown. The Packers defense will stop the Broncos (lack of) run game, they will stop the pass and they are going to sack Orton. Offensively, the Packers will put up the points to win. Winner - Packers
Patriots (2-1) at Raiders (2-1) The only chance the Raiders have this week is with a healthy Darren McFadden. Last week, he got a groin injury and is questionable for this game against the Patriots. New England is coming off a tough loss last week and will be looking for a win, and that’s it. The Raiders defense will contend for a while, but will eventually be worn down as their offense won’t keep the ball in their hands long enough. Winner - Patriots
Dolphins (0-3) at Chargers (2-1) After watching them underachieve against the Chiefs last week, I can’t help but think that even though San Diego should be 4-1 heading into week six, it’s probably not going to happen. Their two wins are over win-less teams. Typical. Miami’s defense is tough and will rattle Philip Rivers, but ultimately I don’t think the Dolphins will prevent being outscored. Winner - Chargers
Jets (2-1) at Ravens (2-1) Face it Jets fans, your team is overrated! This week will deliver loss number two to New York as the Ravens offense run all over their defense. In addition, QB Joe Flacco will be successful in the pass game. Defensively, the Ravens are effective against the run and pass. Winner - Ravens
Colts (0-3) at Buccaneers (2-1) The Colts season is over before it ever began. It’s official, QB Peyton Manning is out for the season. They put up a good fight on Sunday night against the Steelers, but QB Kerry Collins had a concussion, and his back-up Painter is terrible. The Bucs are coming off a big win against the Falcons and this momentum will carry them over the Colts. Winner - Bucs
For Jana's thoughts on last week, further analysis on this week's match-ups, the complete Week 3 schedule, or to read anything else she feels like tossing out regarding the NFL, go to the dirty cleats blog.
Jana Newman lives in San Diego and has been an NFL fan for over 25 years (her not-so-secret obsession is still No. 13 Dan Marino). She has her bachelor of arts degree in English, and loves to write. To combine these passions, Jana created dirtycleats.com. It’s an NFL blog with a fresh look and a fun attitude. You can also follow dirtycleats on Facebook. To reach Jana, email her at contact@dirtycleats.com.